Introduction

Lingzhi is the fungus, Ganoderma lucidum. It has been considered a superior class herb in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. The fungus grows in wood and the mushrooms are hard and woody, typically forming shelf-like groups on logs. There is only one species, but the mushrooms vary in color - depending on different growth conditions.

Since the 1970’s, medicinal mushrooms have been studied extensively worldwide because they all contain active polysaccharides. These polysaccharides 1) stimulate the immune system and are effective against cancer cells and 2) are anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is a major contributor to many diseases, e.g. arthritis, senility, heart disease, allergies, etc.

In 2001, real-life benefits regarding cancer were documented in communities with high mushroom consumption, as follows :-

1. Japanese mushroom workers eating the Flammulina velutipes mushroom had much less deaths from cancer than the other people in Nagano Prefecture.

2. People living in a small area near Sao Paulo, Brazil who regularly consumed the Agaricus blazei mushroom have very low occurrence of cancer and diseases, and live longer. Reshetnikov et al. (2001) showed immuno-stimulatory and anti-cancer actions of the polysaccharides.

Note that three mushroom polysaccharides were purified and clinically tested in humans and are now available as drugs for cancer patients in China and Japan: Krestin, Lentinin and Schizophllan, whilst one drug, Grifon-D, is undergoing clinical trials in the USA.

Lingzhi is now mainly cultivated, either on logs or sawdust. The mushroom and its spores, as well as the mycelium are all used, but the spores contain more of the active substances. All must be processed to release the substances due to the hard fungal walls, e.g. the spores must be “cracked”.

Lingzhi: An Ancient Medicinal Mushroom

Lingzhi has been highly prized for thousands of years in China and is known as "the food of the emperors". Lingzhi and ginseng are the only herbs in superior class, i.e. they promote health and longevity and can be used continuously (no side effects). Lingzhi regulates the entire body via the five major “yin” organs: lungs, heart, liver, kidney and spleen.

From the Shen Nong Pharmacopeia (~500 A.D.), Lingzhi was said to: enhance vital energy, increase thinking faculty and prevent forgetfulness, refresh the body and mind, delay aging and enable one to live long. Lingzhi has been used in potent longevity tonics since antiquity.

The Active Ingredients In Lingzhi

From modern scientific studies (Ref. 1 & 2), numerous physiologically active substances have been found in Lingzhi, as follows:

• β – D –glucans (polysaccharides)
• Heteropolysaccharides
• Glycoproteins (polysaccharide - peptides)
• Protein: Ling Zhi - 8
• Tri-Terpenoids: Ganoderic acids, etc. (bitter taste)
• Nucleosides
• Steroids
• Micronutrients: organic Ge, Se

Particularly, a major review of information on medicinal mushrooms was funded by Cancer Research (UK) resulting in a comprehensive report (Ref. 2). The report is available on-line to the public at the following website:
http://sci.cancerresearchuk.org/labs/med_mush/med_mush.html
Polysaccharides are the main active substances in Lingzhi (Ref. 2). They greatly stimulate the body’s immune cells, and some of the β – D –glucans were also shown to attack cancer cells directly (Ref. 3).

Lingzhi polysaccharides activate non-specific immune cells, e.g. macrophages and natural killer lymphocytes (Ref. 4 – 8) which act to destroy most microbes and abnormal (e.g. cancer) cells. The Lingzhi polysaccharides also can activate the specific immune cells, e.g. T lymphocytes (Ref. 9 & 10). In particular, Lingzhi glycoproteins were shown to increase the toxicity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes by 100 times (Ref. 11). Protein LZ-8 was also found to plays a role, e.g. on lymphocytes (Ref. 12).

Tri-terpenoids are unique to Lingzhi as compared to other mushrooms, and more than 100 structures have been identified (as of 1999). They are the reason for Lingzhi’s bitter taste. Lingzhi tri-terpenoids are directly toxic to cancer cells, i.e. not by stimulation of the immune system (Ref. 13). Tri-terpenoids were shown to protect the liver from toxins (Ref. 14 & 15). Note that Lingzhi is traditionally used to treat hepatitis.

Both the polysaccharides and the tri-terpenoids in Lingzhi are potent anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories (Ref. 16 – 19). Anti-oxidants protect against cell damage (aging, cancer, etc.) and act to prevent/reduce inflammation (Ref. 20). Inflammation is a major factor in many diseases, e.g. Alzheimers (brain & nerves), cardiovascular (heart & vessels), arthritis (joints), allergies, etc. Note that Alzheimers is an old age disease of mental incompetence, and is the 4th highest cause of death in the USA.

Lingzhi has been shown to reduce cholesterol (tri-terpenoids), inhibit abnormal blood clotting (nucleosides, tri-terpenoids, etc.), and lower blood pressure (peptidoglycans & tri-terpenoids) (Ref. 21).

Lingzhi can lower blood sugar (heteropolysaccharides) and be used for diabetes (Ref. 22).

Pure Lingzhi Spore Capsules

XXX mg powder, 90 capsules/bottle

These “chi Jia” brand Lingzhi spore capsules contain the pure spores from the mushroom, with no fillers added. The spores are cracked to allow release of the active substances. The fungus is grown under optimal conditions in China to produce the best quality mushrooms.

Recommended Uses

Lingzhi is considered to nourish the "yin" organs: lung, heart, liver, kidney and spleen, and is suited for long term usage. Spores have the most active substances, and the outer wall must be broken (“cracked”) to be effective.

Lingzhi is used for the following body-strengthening and disease-specific purposes:

• Stimulate the immune system
• Prevent disease
• Prevent and treat cancer
• Prevent and treat inflammatory diseases
• Alzheimers
• heart disease
• arthritis
• allergy
• Minimize aging
• Prevent heart disease
• Prevent strokes
• Protect liver and treat hepatitis
• Treat diabetes

Recommended Dosage

The dosages for adults are: 0.5 – 1 g for health maintenance, 2 – 5 g for chronic health problems, and 5 – 10 g for serious illness. Lingzhi spores can be taken continuously for long periods of time with no side effects.

Lingzhi can be taken by anyone, including with Western medicine.

References

1. Jong S. C., and Birmingham J. M. 1992. Medicinal benefits of the mushroom Ganoderma. Advances in Applied Microbiology, 37, 101-134.

2. Smith J. E., Rowan N. J. & Sullivan R. May 2002 Report: "Medicinal mushrooms: their therapeutic properties and current medical usage with special emphasis on cancer treatments." University of Strathclyde and Cancer Research UK.

3. Mizuno T., Usui T., Tomoda M. 1982. Studies on the host-mediated antitumour polysaccharides. VI. Isolation and characterisation of antitumour active β-D-glucan from mycelial cells of Ganoderma applanatum. Shizuoka Daigaku Nogakuba Kenkyu Hokoku, 32, 41-58.

4. Lee S. S., Wei Y. H., Chen C. F., Wang S. Y., and Chen K. Y. 1995. Antitumour effects of Ganoderma lucidum. Journal of Chinese Medicine, 6, 1-12.

5. Mueller A., Rice P. J. and Ensley H. 1996. Receptor binding and internalisation of a water-soluble (1-3)-beta-D-glucan biologic response modifier in two monocyte macrophage cell lines. Journal of Immunolgy, 156, 3425.

6. Oh J. Y., Cho K. J., Chung S. H. 1998. Activation of macrophages by GLB, a protein-polysaccharide of the growing tips of Ganoderma lucidum. Yakhak Hoeji (Korean), 42, 302-306.

7. Ross G. D., Vetvicka V., Yan J., Xia Y. and Vetvickova J. 1999. Therapeutic intervention with complement and beta-glucan in cancer. Immunophamacology, 42, 61-74.

8. Mueller A., Raptis J., Rice P. J. 2000. The influence of glucan polymer structure and solution conformation on binding to (1 – 3)-beta-D-glucan receptors in human monocyte-like cell line. Glycobiology, 10, 339-346.

9. Wang S. Y., Hsu M. L., & Hsu. H. C. 1997. The anti-tumour effect of Ganoderma lucidum is mediated by cytokines released from activated macrophages and T lymphocytes. International Journal of Cancer, 70, 699-705.

10. Mao T., van De Water J., Keen C. L. 1999. Two mushrooms, Grifola frondosa and Ganoderma lucidum, can stimulate gene expression and proliferation of T lymphocytes. International Journal of Immunotherapy, 15, 13-22.

11. Lei L. S., and Lin Z. B. 1992. Effect of Ganoderma polysaccharides on T cell subpopulations and production of interleukin-2 in mixed lymphocyte response. Yao Hsueh Huseh Pao – Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica (Chinese), 27, 331-335.

12. Tanaka S., Ko K., Kino. K. 1989. Complete amino acid sequence of an immunomodulatory protein, ling zhi-8 (LZ-8). An immunomodulator from a fungus, Ganoderma lucidum, having similarity to immunoglobulin variable regions. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 264, 16372-16377.

13. Kim H. W., and Kim B. K. 1999. Biomedicinal triterperoids of Ganoderma lucidum (Curt.:Fr.) P. Karst.(Aphyllophoromycetideae). Internat. Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 1, 121-138.

14. Hirotani, M. and Ito, C. 1986. Ganoderic acids T, S and R, new triterpenoids from the cultured mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum. Chemical Pharmaceutical Bulletin 34, 2282-2285.

15. Chen, R.Y. and Yu, D.Q. 1991. Studies on the triterpenoid constituents of the spores from Ganoderma lucidum. Yao Hsueh Hsueh Pao (Acta Pharmaceut Simica) 26, 267-273.195

16. Stavinoha, W. (1993). Short term dietary supplementation with ganoderma lucidum slows development and growth of microadenomatous lesions in the colon of rats treated with the carcinogen 1,2 dimethylhydrazine. Presented at the 5th international symposium on ganoderma lucidum, Seoul, Korea on June 17, 1993.

17. Liu, F., Ooi, V.E.C. and Chang, S.T. 1997. Free radical scavenging activities of mushroom polysaccharide extracts. Life Sciences 64, 1005-1011.

18. Pan, J.H. et al. 1998. Preventative effects of Ganoderma lucidum on the radical injury induced by adriamycin. Pharmacological Clinical Chinese Materia Medicine 14, 27-28.

19. Li, M. and Lei, L.S. 2000. Effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides on oxygen-free radicals in murine peritoneal macrophages. Zhongguo Yadikxue Yu Dulixue Zazhi – Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology 14, 65-68.

20. Cuzzocrea, S., Riley, D.P., Caputi, A.P. and Salvemini, D. 2001. Antioxidant therapy: a new pharmacological approach in shock, inflammation and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Pharmacology Reviews 53, 135-139.

21. Francia, C., et. al. 1999. Current research findings on the effects of selected mushrooms on cardiovascular diseases. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms 1, 169-172.

22. Hikimo, H., Ishiyama, M., Suzuki, Y. and Konno, C. 1989. Mechanisms of hypoglycaemic activity of ganoderan B: a glycan of Ganoderma lucidum fruitbodies. Planta Medica 55, 423-428.